Hamilton expected a negative reaction in his first game back to Texas since joining the Angels, but this was much worse, he conceded, than he ever imagined.

"I'd lie to you if I said it didn't bother me a little bit,'' Hamilton said. "But, I mean, it didn't overwhelm me. It wasn't, 'Oh, my goodness, what am I going to do? Get me out of here. I can't stand it.'

"It wasn't that detrimental.''

After spending five years with the Rangers, leading them to their greatest run in franchise history, Hamilton figured he'd have at least built some sympathy in his return for the first time as an opposing player.

Yet, the way he was treated, he said, he might as well been John Rocker going to Shea Stadium.

He laughed at the "Baseball Town,'' T-shirts, and giggled at the chants of "Baseball Town, Baseball Town,'' referring to his spring comments that the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a football town. He even playfully mocked the fans at times, pretending to catch and throw a football.

"I will never take back what I said,'' Hamilton said, "until they show up every night for 30 years.''

And, after the personal insults and chants of "Crack head,'' it might take 30 years for him to forgive them.

Hamilton has grown to accept the abuse anywhere else on the road, but he had trouble believing these insults were from the same fans who spent the last five years idolizing him.

"I've been called crack head before at Yankee Stadium and places like that,'' Hamilton says, "just like I was today. So probably it hurts a little more knowing that people would turn that quickly. To think that they kind of supported you, as far as personally, with stories and things like that.

Hamilton, who signed a five-year, $125 million free-agent contract with the rival Angels, says he used the power of prayer to get him through the day. He even brought up the story of Jesus being rebuked in Jerusalem, saying it was the same for him being abused in his hometown.

Really.

"Somebody came and shared that with me,'' Hamilton said. "Where did people get on Jesus the most? In his hometown. It's one of those things, where baseball-wise, this is my hometown. They got after it.''

They vociferously berated Hamilton every time he came to the plate, which got louder as the game progressed, and they wildly cheered every time he failed. Hamilton went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts. He even botched two plays in the outfield, turning an A.J. Pierznyski double into a triple, and short-hopping a throw from right field to try to nail speedy Craig Gentry at home in the eighth inning for the game-winner in the Rangers' 3-2 victory.

The crowd loved it, growing louder with each inning.

"Once the alcohol got flowing good,'' Hamilton said, smiling. "Honestly, man, that was louder than any playoff game I've been to. They expressed themselves how they wanted to express themselves today.''

Someone asked Hamilton whether he could at least hear some fans cheering for him, and Hamilton couldn't help but look at him incredulously, and say:

"Where were you sitting?''

Well, Hamilton says, looking back, there were three kids sitting near the on-deck circle who actually showed a little sympathy.

"Josh,'' they said, according to Hamilton, "we miss you.'''

Then again, Hamilton's struggles at the plate remind Rangers' fans why they booed him out of town in the first place. Hamilton is resurrecting memories of his struggles down the stretch last year, hitting .063 in the Angels' first four games. He has a single and eight strikeouts in 16 at-bats.

When asked if he was anxious at the plate, he grinned, and said: "Would you blame me for being a little anxious? I was jumpy.

"But, you know, four games in, I'm not pressing the panic button by any means.''

It's a good thing considering this weekend has got a chance to even get uglier for Hamilton. He can take it, he says. He's just curious to know how his wife, Katie, and kids were treated while in the stands.

"I'm sure they have some fun stories to tell me,'' he says.

And certainly, the stories will continue to escalate, as long as Hamilton keeps talking about the Dallas-Fort Worth area not being a baseball town.

"This football town thing has been an absolute nightmare,'' Hamilton said. "I'm not going to take back anything I said. I don't say anything to hurt people intentionally.

"They always know I speak the truth.''

Yet, that honesty can have a price.

"Fans are fans,'' Hamilton says, "it still won't stop me from spending time with them, signing autographs, putting scripture on everything. I'm not here for them in general. I'm here doing what I'm supposed to do.